


The Tudors, Season 3, Episode 2, The Northern Uprising

by TheSomewhatRamblingReviewer



Category: The Tudors (TV)
Genre: Analysis, Episode Review, Episode: s03e02 The Northern Uprising, Meta, Nonfiction, Season/Series 03, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 08:01:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25649959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSomewhatRamblingReviewer/pseuds/TheSomewhatRamblingReviewer
Summary: Warning: Contains spoilers for the episode and the rest of the series. Complete.
Kudos: 9





	The Tudors, Season 3, Episode 2, The Northern Uprising

Open to Cromwell and Rich talking. The rebels in Lincoln have stood down due to a promise of a pardon if they do along with a threat of punishment if they don’t. Rich asks about Yorkshire, and the answer is it’s been overtaken with the rebels still advancing.

There’s a shot of said rebels marching. Neatly, some of them are women.

At a castle, one of Henry’s council members, Darcy, writes he’s unable to defend himself without more soldiers. He asks Henry to consider negotiating with the pilgrims.

In bed, Henry’s leg is being treated. Francis is nearby. Henry brings up the fact his physician said it was an easily treatable ulcer. Explaining his plan of temporarily treating the wound, the physician promises to research other remedies to permanently cure/heal it.

Henry accuses everyone of treating him like a fool.

Actually, considering how much of a fool he is, most people treat him with remarkable respect.

He yells at everyone to leave, and everyone but Francis does. Henry declares he’ll find his own remedies.

Meanwhile, Charles Brandon leads his men into a town. He’s not happy with the lack of guns. The mayor explains there are guns, but there aren’t enough horses to transport them right away, and he didn’t want to cause panic by forcibly commandeering horses from people.

“Idiot!” is Charles Brandon’s response. Ordering the mayor to find enough horses in two days, he declares he will personally hold the mayor accountable if it’s not done, and he adds, hopefully, disembowelment will be part of the account.

Back at the castle, Lady R tells Jane Henry is still cooped up in his chambers, and Jane expresses her worry. Lady R gives a speech condemning the rebels, and Jane subtly shows her sympathies to their cause.

As Henry pointed out, they should have petitioned him rather than immediately gathering arms and marching. Supposedly, Aske is a brilliant lawyer, and he has shown he truly doesn’t want to go against Henry. He could have tried convincing the people to use this method. He could have gathered Catholic lawyers and sympathetic nobles to help him build a legal case against Henry’s destruction of the religious houses. Instead, he agreed to lead a militia, and said militia has already killed several people.

Changing the subject, Jane has something she wants Lady R to arrange for her. She’s sure it will give Henry a great deal of pleasure.

At the other castle, Darcy sees the rebels approaching. A clergyman asks if he’ll fire on them, and the answer is he doesn’t have adequate guns. The clergyman says he must close the gates. Instead, Darcy decides he’s going to leave the castle to try negotiation.

Aske and Darcy meet. The clergyman, several of the rebels, and guards are also present. Saying they coming in peace, Aske insists they’re not rebelling against Henry. He mentions his plan to petition Henry.

This couldn’t have been done before he led armed individuals? Sometimes, petitioning and means of non-violent protest don’t work, but people should always try those first.

The clergyman points out Aske is committing treason, and Aske insists he’s the loyalist man in England to Henry. His quarrel is with some of the men close to Henry, not with Henry himself.

It’s a good thing Charles Brandon isn’t present, or his threat of disembowelment to the mayor would be realised on Aske.

Requesting shelter safe passage, Aske threatens they won’t be stopped regardless of Darcy’s answer.

Meanwhile, Cromwell gives Rich instructions before being called to see Henry. Henry brings up the letter from Darcy, and Cromwell informs him the rebels have already entered the town. Henry orders him to write a letter instructing Darcy to hold the castle at all costs.

There’s a scene of Darcy opening his gates. He’s hugged by the rebels as the clergyman stands by in horror.

Then, now out of bed, Henry rants about Darcy betraying him. Henry demands to know why Charles Brandon and another man haven’t attacked. He decides he’ll go lead the army himself.

Francis and Cromwell follow him, and being much like how I think Charles Brandon was supposed to come across as, Francis states, “I wish your majesty would not consider doing so.” When Henry asks if Francis thinks he’s too feeble, he answers, “I meant that your majesty’s life is far too precious to be put at risk against such a common rabble. Of course, if you choose to go, you’d be like a lion among wolves.”

Declaring he doesn’t need to be flattered, Henry orders Cromwell to send a message asking why Charles Brandon hasn’t started attacking yet. After Cromwell leaves, Francis asks if he can get anything for Henry’s pain. Henry answers yes.

At Brandon’s Headquarters, people are arming themselves outside. Inside, Charles Brandon and several men are going over plans. A lord appears, and everyone else is dismissed.

Saying he’s not sure he can completely trust his men, Charles Brandon opines most of them seem to secretly think the rebels quarrel is legitimate. The lord brings up the fact Henry wants them to attack now.

Charles Brandon would die for Henry, but he’s not suicidal. He insists Henry wouldn’t order it if Henry saw what the conditions were. It’s made clear conditions are: They don’t have the men, weapons, or horses to give them a fair chance.

The lord asks if Charles Brandon has an alternate plan. Yes, and said plan is to parley with them in order to keep them from continuing to march.

“Then, you must tell the king,” the lord says, because, he isn’t suicidal, either.

At Darcy castle, Aske and his men talk numbers.

Meanwhile, Henry is having his wound tended to by Ursula. He gives her a mixture he made, and she identifies some of the ingredients by smell. She impresses him by calmly ordering him to be still. Next, she asks if he wants her to stay, and letting down her hair, she moves to kiss him.

Elsewhere, the cardinal and Pole talk about the pilgrims, and the cardinal orders Pole to write a pamphlet denouncing Henry. Pole’s ready to get right on it, but the cardinal stops him. The pope’s making Pole an official papal legate, and he wants Pole to go to different countries to gather support for a crusade against Henry. Pole agrees. However, when the cardinal continues Pole’s to be made a cardinal, too, Pole refuses on the grounds he’s unworthy.

The cardinal responds the pope knows better than Pole does if Pole is worthy or not, and Pole reluctantly accepts the hat.

In a meeting, Cromwell reads about Charles Brandon’s plan to promise a pardon if people go home. Refusing to let the leaders go free, Henry asks what terms Charles Brandon is going to offer. It turns out Charles Brandon handwrote the letter, and in it, he promises he won’t keep any of the promises he makes to the rebels.

Speaking of, Charles Brandon and his men arrive to meet Aske and his men. He gives this speech, “Alas, you unhappy men. What fancy, what folly, has led and seduced you to make this most shameful rebellion against the most noble and righteous king and sovereign?”

Dismounting, he walks over to Aske. “Are you not ashamed? How can you do this? You are only giving offence to your natural sovereign lord by giving us occasion to fight with you, that have loved you more than any other part of the realm and have always taken you for our best friends.”

Aske answers they mean no offence to Henry.

Yeah, instead of pooling the money to send several people to petition Henry or to bribe some nobles to speak on their behalf, they just decided to arm themselves, march, and kill several of his commissioners. I’d make a sarcastic comment about Henry clearly being unreasonable, but the thing is, for all the times he genuinely is a psychopathic tyrant, his anger in this instance is justified.

He continues they have a petition they’d like to submit to Henry.

I wish someone would ask why they didn’t try this before they started the rebellion.

One of their demands is for a new, special parliament to be created.

Pointing out he’s not in a position to fulfil their demands, Charles Brandon suggests they call a temporary truce. Two of Aske’s captains will go present the petition to Henry, and everyone will wait until they come back. He asks to speak to Darcy in private.

They go off, and Charles Brandon says Darcy has good reasons to be grateful to Henry. He suggests he give Aske up, but Darcy declares breaking a promise would make him a traitor.

What does he think going against his oath to Henry makes him?

At court, Jane publicly presents Mary to Henry. Henry loudly declares some people wanted him to put Mary to death. Mary semi-faints, and Henry catches her. Quietly promising her she’s safe, he urges her to be happy before leaving her with Jane.

Jane says Henry’s agreed to give Mary lodgings at Hampton court.

Meanwhile, Henry charges Francis with finding out if Mary is truly as innocent as she seems.

Walking over, Francis apologises for the time he voiced his opinion on how she should be smashed to death. She forgives him. Asking if she likes games, he says there’s a new game at court. “It’s called cunnilingus. It’s an old country practise.”

Her eyes showing nothing but innocent curiosity, she politely asks how it’s played. He manages to keep himself from laughing, but seeing his reaction, she declares he’s making fun of her. She leaves.

Going over to Ursula, he strokes her hair, but she says she’s strictly Henry’s mistress now.

Later, Aske’s two captains are brought before Henry, and the men are completely out of their depth at the fancy court. On his throne, Henry is scrawled out like a moody teenager. He lays into them, and one of the reasonable points he makes is their lands aren’t being properly tended to whilst they’re marching.

One of the men protests, but both Cromwell and Charles Brandon glare. Cromwell orders him to be quiet.

Henry says the clergymen from those places where they rebelled all agreed the supremacy was supported by God’s holy word. He continues he’ll give a pardon if everyone lays down their arms, and he’s sending Charles Brandon to make sure they disband.

Later, Charles Brandon comes to talk to them. They inform him the promise of a pardon isn’t going to make them stop, and Charles Brandon says Henry knows. Therefore, he’s given Charles Brandon permission to negotiate on his behalf.

They ask if there’s a token of Henry’s supposed good faith. It amuses me how offended Charles Brandon sounds when he asks, “You don’t trust my word?”

I think even Brereton would’ve been smart enough to not trust his word. The only one who can trust Charles Brandon’s word is Henry, and even then, there are limits.

He gives them a handwritten note from Henry promising to deal with them openly, honestly, and reasonably.

Elsewhere, Cromwell gives a note to someone to deliver, and opening it, the person copies it onto another piece of paper.

In the captains’ room, someone outside the door warns them not to trust Cromwell. The copied letter is slipped under their door.

Meanwhile, in bed, Jane tries to convince Henry to restore the monasteries, and he implies he’ll kill her if she continues trying to get involved with his policies.

The next scene is in the Spanish Netherlands. Pole is waiting in a room. People come in, and one of the men kisses his hand.

I don’t know if the actor was genuinely uncomfortable or if he simply chose to play the character this way, but either way, this is a nice character moment. Pole doesn’t think he deserves to be a cardinal, and as a simple priest, it would be him kissing the other man’s hand.

He quickly hands his papers declaring himself a papal legate over.

Once they sit down, the lead man says they knew he was coming, but they’re still not sure exactly why.

He wants them to help encourage the rebels in England. The lead man asks if he’s willing to encourage it even if it means the overthrowing of Henry rather than just the royal council. Pole briefly hesitates before answering in the affirmative. Bringing up Mary, he cites her Catholicism and legitimate claim to the throne. Then, he reveals he has Plantagenet blood, and this gives him a claim to the throne if installing Mary fails.

It’s weird how no one seems to consider Elizabeth. In a later episode, Henry rants about how Pole’s young nephew might one day have thousands of men flocking under his banner. Whenever Henry is seriously ill, Charles Brandon sends men to protect Mary and Edward Seymour doubles baby Edward’s guard. Whether Elizabeth’s considered illegitimate or not, whether she’s a girl or not, there was a time when Henry made it clear he wanted her to succeed him in the event of him dying before he could conceive a male heir. Therefore, it seems to me these conversations should all have her mentioned even if the people make it clear they believe she’s no real threat for [insert reason].

Elsewhere, the captains return. One of them is excited. Aske notices how quiet the other one is, and the letter from Cromwell is revealed.

Meanwhile, Henry wishes Charles Brandon luck. He lies he wants a peaceful resolution. Then, he says Charles Brandon is to prolong the truce for as long as possible. The general pardon is still in effect for most of the rebels, but he wants the death of the leaders.

Charles Brandon brings up the fact the rebels hate Cromwell, and Henry gives a speech about some sort of fruit he’s eating. It ends with telling Charles Brandon to tell the rebels whatever he likes in regards to Cromwell.

I really love the look on Charles Brandon’s face during the speech. He’s confused with where it’s going but unsurprised at Henry giving it. Henry was probably the kid who just randomly blurted out some new philosophical idea he’d been thinking about in the middle of some activity which had nothing to do with what he was talking about, and then, got annoyed when people couldn’t follow his line of thought.

At the meeting, Charles Brandon agrees the rebels can have their special parliament. It’ll be able to debate questions of heresy, Mary’s legitimacy, and whether the religious houses should be restored. They bring up Cromwell and the other objectionable council members, and he says, whatever his personal feelings, none of this is for him to decide. The parliament, however, will have this ability.

They ask if the general pardon still stands, and Charles Brandon answers in the affirmative. He lies, the more Henry understands the reasons and loyalty of the people, the more willing he is to offer greater clemency. He promises the destruction of religious houses will cease until the parliament meets.

The next scene is of Aske urging the pilgrims to disarm and go home. He mentions the lack of bloodshed.

What does he call what happened to the dead commissioners?

Another man reads a pardon from Henry, and Aske continues telling the crowd to go home.

Later, at the Aske house, Aske receives a letter. Historically, Aske was unmarried, but here he has a wife, daughter, and son. Aske has been ordered to come meet Henry. Ominously ordering him not to tell people, the letter promises he’ll be allowed to safely leave. The Aske family is excited.

In the next scene, however, some of his rebel friends are uneasy, and they decide they’ll have outposts set up so, if Henry breaks his word, they’ll know and that everyone can be assembled to come break him out.

Fin.


End file.
